Totally Creative magazine is a relative newcomer on the scene, but I think it already shows a lot of promise.  The sample issue that I saw contained articles by several artists whose work I know and love, including the fabulous Barbara Matthiessen, who wrote an extensive tutorial on creating multi-layered surface design effects on fabric.  I also found an article by my friend Beth Wheeler, who shared a felting project.

So what you’ll find are professional designers, whose names you’ll know from other magazines and books, who’ve created projects in all different media and for all different skill levels.  Sound interesting?
There …read more

Lauren Abrams, owner of LaBeana, makes eye-catching polymer clay jewelry.  I love the tribal/ethnic/bohemian feel to her pieces.  Lauren writes:
I love polymer clay because of the immediacy of it as a medium. It is endlessly challenging yet among the simples of mediums to us. There are new techniques being developed daily and the excitement of trying new ones keeps it fresh and enticing. It’s great to be learning from other polymer clay artists(who are among the most generous of artists when it comes to sharing information) and a day does not go by when I don’t see something …read more

Rickie Leiter, of Rickie Leiter’s Ocean Stone Jewelry, has a totally unique inspiration for polymer clay jewelry pieces.  I love the idea of combining a precious antique material with something as accessible as polymer clay.  Rickie writes:
Childhood experiences started me on a path of looking at nature with appreciation and awe. Collecting stones, shells, and pieces of pottery from trips around the world always kept those memories alive in a special way. Some tokens became necklaces or pins, as I learned new ways to create jewelry with different mediums.

The pieces shown are built with polymer clay and are embedded …read more

I started a new jewelry book proposal last week. That means, actually, I’ve got two proposals sort of in the works. The first one I emailed my editor at Rockport about a few weeks ago, hmmm…maybe even a month now, and while she didn’t say, “no.” She needs to think about it. Okay, so what do I do? Should I just hang out and wait?
Nope. Instead, I decided to start on another book idea I’ve had for about five or more years. I originally pitched it to this same editor many years ago, but I was told it was too narrow …read more

I plan to recommend more books for educating yourself about the craft business, but if you don’t read any other book that I suggest, at least read Crafting as a Business by Wendy Rosen.
This books full of practical information that really relates to anyone who has a craft-related business. She covers a lot of business basics too, like figuring out pricing, and marketing yourself.
Most libraries have this book because it pretty much a classic in the world of business crafts, but you can also click on the image above to shoot over to Amazon.com and read some reviews, view …read more

I haven’t seen much activity over on this podcast slash blog for awhile, but you can still go over and listen to past podcasts: Crafty Chica Podcast.
Kathy Cano Murillo runs it, and you may have seen her on TV before. For those who have wanted to turn their crafting into a career, her bio is worth a read – very inspiring!